The fight against credit card fraud is an all to daily an occurrence these days, and the banks are trying to do what they can to stamp it out. This can sometimes lead to a little bit of embarrassment for us, if a debit or credit card that we hand over for a purchase is declined.

This initial embarrassing moment can then lead to anger as we try to understand why this is happening to us. This is caused say the banks, by the system that is installed to try and protect us from any fraudulent use of our cards.

The way that these systems work is by watching the way that we make transactions. If say that we use our cards in mostly in our local area, and limit the amount of what we spend, the system reads and remembers these card transactions, and through time puts together a pattern of what and when we spend by learning as it as it goes along, and is counteracted with the patterns of the credit card crooks, to work out if the card is being used fraudulently.

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If and when one of the systems, which are usually named with monikers like spy code names such as Falcon and Iris, suss out any change in our spending patterns it will immediately send a message to the retailer, that authorisation will have to be made before it can proceed with the transaction. This will usually entail the assistant asking us for details to verify that its rightful owner is using the card. This will be done as quickly and with as little inconvenience to the customer as possible.

This as a different effect if we are trying to buy our goods over the phone or through the Internet, these transactions are classed as a card-not-seen. This is dealt with differently, where as in a shop or store we will be asked, to verify our identities the system wont have this, so the banks have to make the choice of stopping or letting the purchase go through.

The banks though will try to contact us for confirmation that the transaction was a legitimate one, so that we can then proceed and order our goods, so it is always a good idea to keep the bank up to speed on things such as a change of home or mobile phone numbers, this will make things easier and quicker for all.

The Halifax bank is the only one that will cut out the embarrassment for us, they let the transaction proceed as normal and then contact us, and if the card is being found to be used illegally, then the card will be stopped and will contact the vendor not to dispatch any of their goods.

So remember if this ever happens to you when your out shopping, try and to remember this is being done to protect your hard eared cash falling into the hands of fly by nights who don’t want to do a hard days work, and with one in every ten card checks being made found to be fraudulent, then the system is their for our own good, so don’t be angry and stroppy with the assistant, as they are only doing their job.